DURHAM — Tony Foster will be a starter again for Duke in his last home game and because of that the Williams High School graduate will have another level of emotions.

Foster has been a starter before, but his spot on the depth chart this week was pretty much guaranteed when roommate Lee Butler, a starting cornerback, was lost to a season-ending knee injury last week at Georgia Tech.

“I think I have a little extra motivation to get this one for him,” Foster said of this afternoon’s game against visiting Miami in the regular-season finale.

Foster is pegged as the starter at one cornerback spot. Butler has been a veteran in the secondary, also playing at times as a safety. So depending on the defensive package, often Foster and Butler were on the field at the same time.

“You can’t replace a Lee Butler as a leader, as a teammate,” Foster said. “What’s going to be different is not looking over and getting that look from Lee.”

Duke will face a Miami team that at the beginning of the week learned that its university was imposing a postseason ban for the second year in a row because of expected penalties from the NCAA. The Hurricanes arrive knowing this is their last shot in 2012.

It’s a different situation for Duke, which will play another game in its first bowl appearance since the 1994 season. Until last weeks’ loss to Georgia Tech, the Blue Devils were in contention for a spot in the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game.

But that winner-take-all matchup with Miami to be the Coastal Division representative in the ACC title game all went away. Now, Miami isn’t even part of the championship equation.

“Games take on their own personalities,” Duke coach David Cutcliffe said. “It could surprise all of us how intense this game may or may not be.”

Duke has never defeated Miami since the Hurricanes joined the ACC.

“This is a winnable game,” Duke senior center Brian Moore said. “Thankfully, this isn’t going to be the last game. We’ve got that extra game and maybe that’s what I’ll save some of those emotions for.”

A victory for Duke would end a three-game losing streak and might make the Blue Devils more appealing in the bowl selection process. They’re assured of a spot in a bowl because of the conference’s bowl tie-ins.

“We’ve got a big hurdle in front of us,” Cutcliffe said. “We have a huge carrot in front of us. … I’m going house to house, street corner to street corner to get folks to come to this ball game.”

While the atmosphere for the game might be in question, Foster said the Blue Devils want to continue the turnaround that has been one of the most encouraging aspects in ACC football this year.

Page 2 of 2 - “It has been tough,” Foster said. “We’re in the midst of a little losing streak. We have to keep fighting. We’ve been fighting for years.”

The Blue Devils are 5-1 in home games, matching the single-season school record for victories at home. It has happened in seven other seasons, but not since 1994.

A sixth home triumph would be another plus for the 20 players who’ll be honored in a Senior Day pregame ceremony.

“So many emotions. It’s a sadness. It’s excitement,” Foster said. “It’s exciting and it’s nervous. I know it will feel good to leave with a win in Wallace Wade. I want to win this game just for the program.

“Nobody likes the feeling of a loss. The best way to go out is to get a win.”